Hello

Airports are de facto showcases for most countries and all perform the same
functions as transport terminals. However, it could not be insulated from the
visions of the governments that created it. The buildings stand for the embrace of
travel as social, cultural and economic necessities and airports have become
symbolic, stood witness and responded to the political and the all-too pervasive
economic pressures that airports have to play in the life of a country.
NAIA 1 is symbolic and witness to the country’s Martial Law past while NAIA 2
presents a vision of what the country could possibly be – clean, bright and
efficient. In both cases, the existing operating NAIA terminals functionally and
symbolically represent what is Filipino in terms of experience, culture and
responsiveness to the world that is literally flying into and out of the country.
It is to be emphasized however that although these terminals have been created
by almost divergent design sensibilities of a Filipino architect and a French airport
terminal corporation, both have to be subjected to the operational, cultural and
political dynamics that is inherent in the operations of an airport. Design
showcases as they are in their own right, play second fiddle when uncomfortably
too many passengers pass through the arrival and departure halls, 20 board the
aircraft gates, park their cars or even use the toilets.
Function and design, in that order dictates how passengers – the ultimate and the
most direct stakeholders of the said terminals are to determine if such become
cultural showcases or not.